Traveling tube pump



Sept. 13, 1932. J. A. YERKES ET-AL TRAVELING TUBE PUMP Filed Jan. 5,1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 13, 1932. J. A.'YERKES ET AL.

TRAVELING TUBE PUMP Filed Jan. 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ./omA. Ver-kes Fees H Lemma/7 du? A/TTORNE Ys lllllllfdilllln villini I Illl Il l n Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A.YERKES AND BEES H. LEHMON, F LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA TRAVELING TUBE PUMPApplication filed January 3, 1930. Serial No. 418,264.

This invention relates to a deep well pump having a relativelystationary piston and a reciprocating working barrel nested over thepiston. The invention pertains especially to -3 features of constructionwhereby fluid between the pump and the well tube or shell surroundingthe pump is operated upon to cause turbulence and prevent settling ofsand and sediment.

The objects of this invention are to provide a traveling tube pump inwhich sand or sediment settling out of the liquid in the well tubing isprevented from lodging between the well tubing and the pump therebyobviating the usual difficulties encountered by such pump, namely,freezing or sticking as well as ultimately resulting in shortening thepump stroke. Another object of this invention is to provide greaterstrength and simplicity as well as inexpensive construction. A furtherobject of this invention is to provide a deep well pump having nestedtubular stand pipes, one of which is provided with a working piston, aworking barrel surrounding the piston and forming therewith a workingspace, said working barrel coacting with the vstand pipes to causesurging of liquid back and forth in the space between the pump and welltube, the surging in said space being substantially coeXtensivetherewith.

These objects are accomplished by means of the embodiments of ourinvention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l isan axial section through a well tubeshowing one form of pump insertedtherein, portions of the pump being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 is anenlarged longitudinal section through the lower end of the pump and welltubing string shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section as seen on the line3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a fragment ofwell tubing showing another form of pump embodying our invention; Fig. 5is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing still another form of pumpembodying our invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the usual well tubingis marked 10. The section of well tubing is that near the bottom of thewell and carries at its lower end a shoe 11, to which is attached acollar 12. A 4gas anchor pipe marked 13 is threadedly attached to collar12. The shoe 11 has a taperedbore to receive an extension, laterdescribed.

Clamped between the shoe 11 and collar 12 is a resilientanchorijxgmember 14 including spring fingers wh1ch depend below the shoe11 and into the collar.

The pump proper comprises an anchoring extension 15 also serving as aseat forthe pump and coacting with the tapered bore of the shoe. Thetail pipe 16 is attached to the anchoring extension. A bevelled annularrecess 17 serves for the mounds on the fingers toengage therewith andhold` the anchoring extension in place. A bore 18 is formed in theextension and is threadedto receive an inner stand pipe 19. The upperend of the extension is enlarged in diameter and threaded to receive anouter stand pipe 20. Below the lower end of stand pipe 20 and in thewall of the anchoring extension -are lateral ports 21 which serve forcommunication of the space between the stand pipes 19 and 20 with thespace between the well tube 10 and the pump. I

A piston body 22 is secured to the upper end of the inner stand pipe 19and mounted thereon are plunger cups 23 secured in any suitable manneras by lock nuts and followers. It will be noted that the upper two cupsshown in F ig.A 1 are reversed in position with respect to the remainingcups, the upper cups serving as wipersto wipe sand or sediment fromthereciprocating barrel. Secured'to the upper end of the piston by asuitable lock bushing is a valve cage 24 housing a ball valve 25.

Reciprocatingly mounted over the piston is a working barrel 26. Thisbarrel extends over the outer standing tube 20 and is spaced therefrom,there 'being a guide nut 27 at the lower end of the barrel engaging theouter standing vtube 20 and forming an annular piston. The guide nutneed not form a leak tightfit with the outer standing tube, it beingsuiicient that when the barrel is reciprocated, the annular spacebetween the outer lse standing tube 2O and the barrel 26 will belongitudinally contracted and expanded. At the upper end of the workingbarrel is a bushing 28 to which a valve cage 29 is attached. A ballvalve 3() is mounted in cage 29. There is a sucker rod 31 attached tothe valve cage 29.

It will be understood, that in actual practice, the tubing 10, shoe 11,resilient anchoring device 14, collar l2 and the anchor pipe 13 areassembled and lowered into the well hole in position. Thereupon, theassembled .pump elements as a unit are secured to the sucker rod 31 andlowered into the well tubing until the anchoring` extension 15 seats inthe shoe lland is securely locked in position by the resilient anchoringdevice, but in such a manner that an upward pull upon the sucker rodswill cause the spring fingers on the anchoring device to release thepump assembly. With the pump inserted in position in the well tubing, itis now ready for operation. The sucker rods 31 are reciprocated as usualwhich causes the traveling tube 26 or working barrel to reciprocate overthe piston. On the up-stroke of the pump, liquid is drawn through thetail pipe 16 up through the standing tube 19, through the piston andpast the valve 25. lt enters the pump working space, being elevated bythe 4upward movement of the working barrel 26. The valve 30 in cage 29will have remained seated upon the up-stroke of the pump. On thedown-stroke of the pump, the ball valve 25 seats and the ball valve 30lifts to permit discharge of the fluid into the well tubing 10.

The pumping action -iust described is the usual action common to thistype of pump. However, the working barrel causes an additional andnovelaction. in Fig. 1, the working barrel is shown near the bottom of thedown-stroke. Ou the following upstroke, the liquid which is contained inthe annular space between the traveling tube 26 and the outer standingtube 20 is forced upwardly out of said annular space and downwardlythrough the annular space between the standing tubes 19 and 20. Theannular spaces just referred to constitute a play chamber for liquidcontained therein, and the play chamber is contracted and expanded withreciprocation of the working barrel thereby forming a pulsator.Contraction of the play chamber causes liquid to be forced therefrom outthrough the holes 2l and upwardly in the annular space between the pumpunit and the well tube 10. 0n the following down-stroke, it is obviousthat liquid will be drawn into the play chamber through the holes 21 andwill enter the play chamber. lt will be seen that the guide nut 27,fitting closely over the i outer standing tube 20, acts as a seal andthus standing tube 20 also acts as a stationary piston, the skirt orlower end of the working barrel or traveling tube 26 acting as a traibamounts. The largest portion of-this sand or sediment is usually carriedout with the liquid due to the velocity of the liquid moving upwardly.Some sand and sediment, however, will settle and tend to lodge in theannular space between-the well tubing and the working barrel. Tt willoften, if permitted, settle around the anchoring extension 15 at thepump seat or shoe, rendering it diiiicult and often impossible to removethe pump by pulling upon the sucker rods and requiringpulling of thetubing string l0, causing an expensive and laborious job. So long as theworking barrel 26, in the ordinary type of such traveling tube pump, iskept in motion, it is unlikely that sand or sediment. will clog thespace between the tubing 10 and the traveling tube 26 due to theagitation. Likewise, Huid above the valve cage 29 moving upwardly tendsto prevent settling of sand and sediment., but some sand usually findsit way down to the lowermost portion of the tubing and tends to build upat this point, often to such an extent that the traveling tube pounds orstrikes the sand packed at the bottom of the space. This is highlydetrimental to the operation of the pump, as it is necessary to respacethe travelmg tube to prevent it from striking the packed sand orsediment in this space. 1n

`:many cases, this must be repeatedly done and been made to avoid theabove described conditions, but with the devices heretofore used,sufficient surge of the fluid in the space around the pump is notobtained to adequately agitate the iiuid. Tn the structure ustdescribed,the turbulence is coextens'ive with the space and the surge isinaugurated at the `extreme lower point, where it is most effective. Thelock nut or annular piston 27 may be slightly loose with relation tostanding tube 20, but the action just described will take place eventhough the guide nut lits loosely, because of the rapidity of movementduring operation.

Referring to the species of pumps shown in Fig. e the well tubing itsshown as before with a shoe, collar and resilientV anchoring devicetoengage an anchoring extension 32. Mounted on the anchoring extension 32are nested standing tubes 33 and 34. At the upper end of the innerstandingtube 33 is a piston 35 equipped with a valve 36 and valve cage37 at its upper end. Over the piston is slidably mounted a workingbarrel or traveling tube 38 having a valve cage 39 and valve 40 at thetop for connection to a sucker rod string 41. An adaptor bushing 42 isthreaded into the lower'end of the traveling tube 38 and secured theretois a skirt tube 43 which in effect is a continuation of the workingbarrel. A bushing of vring form" and marked 44 is shown in ig. 4 asengaging the outer standing tube 34 so as to define an annular spacebetween the skirt tube 43 and the outer standing tube 34. A bushing 45is mounted upon the outer standing tube 34 and slidably engages theskirt tube. The space between tubes 33 and 43 is placed in communicationwith the space about the pump by ports 46. The shoe 32 has openings 47also communicating with the space about the pump and adjacent the shoe.Upon reciprocation of the working barrel, the skirt causes a play of theliquid between the outer tube 34 and the skirt tube 43 so as to create asurge back and forth through openings 46 adjacent the top of the outertraveling tube. At the same time, there will be a surge created in theplay space between the skirt tube and the inner standing tube 33 due tothe pulsator formed by the piston 35, tubes 33 and 43. The liquid fromthe last mentioned space surges through c the opening 47 at the lowerportion of the pump.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5, a variation ofthe structure shown inFig. 4 is disclosed. In Fig. 5, the bushing 48 at the lower end of theskirt tube is made of such size as to slidingly lit both the innerstandin tube 33 and the outer standing tube 34. n this instance, thereis a ltriple action, due to the space below the bushing 47, the spacebetween tlie skirt tube 43 and the outer standing tube 34 and the spacebetween the inner standing tube 33 and the skirt tube 43. The iiuid fromthe last mentioned space surges through openings 49 in the workingbarrel.

What We claim is l. In combination with a well tube having a support, aninserted well pump, mounted in said tube and on said support to seal thespace above said support from that below, said pump comprising nestedtubular stand pipes, one of said stand pipes being provided with apiston, said stand pipes being-spaced from one another to provide anannular non-working space therebetween, openings terminating instationary lports placing said annular space in communication with thespace surrounding said stand pipes, a working barrel surrounding saidpiston and forming therewith a working .pump space, said working barrelreciprocating with respect to said stand pipes to cause play of liquidcontained in said annular non-working space and surging of such liquidbackv and forth through said openings.

2. In combination with a tube having a support, an inserted well pump,mountedv in said tube and on said support to seal the space above saidsupport from thatbelow,

and expandable play chamber, and passages a terminating in stationaryports connecting said play chamber with the space around said pump atits lower end whereby liquid may be caused to surge back and forththrough said passages by reciprocation of said barrel.

3. In combination with a. well tube, an inserted pump, retaining meansat the lower end of said pump to hold said pump in said well tube andseal the space above said means from that below; said pump comprisingthe combination of a tubular standv pipe provided with a piston at itsupper end, a second stand pipe disposed about and spaced from said firstmentioned stand pipe to provide an annular space, a working barrelsurrounding said piston and forming therewith a working pump space abovesaid piston, said working barrel having its lower end reciprocatinglyvengaging a stand pipe in telescopic relation with said stand pipes andproviding with said annular space a closed contractible and expandableplay chamber, and passages terminating in stationary portsconnectingsaid play chamberwith the space around said pump at its lowerend whereby liquid may becaused to surge back and forth through saidpassages by reciprocating of said barrel.

4. In combination with a well tube having a support, an inserted wellpump, mounted in said tube and on said support to seal the space abovesaid support from that below, said pump comprising a tubular stand pipeprovided with a piston, a second stand pipe nested about and spaced fromsaid first mentioned stand' pipe, a working barrel surrounding saidpiston and forming therewith a working pump space 'above said piston,said working barrel being slidably nested over one of said stand pipesin telescopic relation therewith, a ring piston on said working barrelcoacting with one of said stand pipes to limit a play chamber and tocause play of liquid contained in said play chamber, openingsterminating in stationary ports at the lower end of said pump placingsaid play chamber in communication with the space about said pumpwhereby liquid may 4surge back and forth through said openin s.

ln combination with awell tube having a support, an inserted Well pump,mounted n said tube and on said support to seal the space above saidsupport from that below, said pump comprising an inner tubular standpipe provided with a piston, an outer stand pipe nested about and spacedfrom said inner stand pipe to provide an annular space, openingsterminating in stationary ports placing said annular space incommunication with the space surrounding said outer stand pipe at thelower end of the latter, a Working barrel surrounding said pist-on andforming therewith a working pump space, said working barrel beingslidably nested over, spaced from and coacting with the outer stand pipeand having a ring piston coacting with said outer stand pipe to form aclosed eXpansible play chamber and cause play of liquid in the spacebetween said barrel, outer stand pipe and annular space and surging ofsuch liquid back and forth through said openings.

6. ln combination with a Well tube, an insei-ted pump, retention meansat the lower end of said pump to releasably hold said pump in said welltube; said pump comprising the combination of a tubular stand pipeprovided with a piston, a second stand pipe nested about and spaced fromsaid first mentioned stand pipe, a Working barrel surrounding saidpiston and forming therewith a working pump space, said working barrelbeing slidably nested over one of said stand pipes, a ring piston onsaid working barrel coacting with `one of said stand pipes to limit andforma closed expansible play charnber and to cause play of liquidcontained in said play chamber, openings terminating in stationary portsat the lower end of saidl pump placing said play chamber incommunication with the space about said pump whereby liquid may surgeback and forth through said openings.

In. Witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed ournames this l96th day of December, 1929.

. JOHN A. YERKES.

BEES H. LEMMON.

